Seattle Archives - Pacific Northwest Explorer

Chihuly Garden and Glass

I was completely blown away by Dale Chihuly’s incredible glass sculptures when I first visited Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle. Whenever I’m in Seattle I try to incorporate another visit and the impact of his work has never lessened. The photos here are of his works displayed at Chihuly Garden and Glass. Elsewhere in the Northwest, his work can also be seen at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma and the Bridge of Glass, which spans I-705 and connects downtown Tacoma and the Museum District with the Museum of Glass and the Thea Foss Waterfront.

Chihuly is a Pacific Northwest native. He was born in Tacoma in 1941, graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1959, and attended the College of Puget Sound and the University of Washington, where he majored in interior design. He briefly studied art in Florence, Italy before returning to the U.S. and re-enrolling at Washington.

It was at the University of Washington that he began working with glass, first experimenting with incorporating shards of glass into tapestries. He began blowing glass in 1965. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in interior design from the University of Washington in 1965, a Master of Science degree in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1967, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1968.

He worked for a time at the Verini glass factory in Murano, Italy, and taught at the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Deer Island, Maine. In 1971 he co-founded the Pilchuk Glass School in Stanwood, Washington. He later taught at the Rhode Island School of Design for more than a decade.

In 1976 he was involved in a head-on car crash in England that left him blind in his left eye. And in 1979 he dislocated his right shoulder in a body surfing accident and could no longer hold a glass blowing pipe. That led him to hire others to do the actual glass blowing for him. He adopted a teamwork approach to glass sculpture that he first experienced in Murano that has allowed him to create works of a size that could not be done by a glass blower working alone.

Chihuly’s work is displayed in more than 200 museums, including a large permanent exhibit at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and is sold in galleries around the world.

Chihuly Garden and Glass opened in 2012 in the Seattle Center, next door to the Space Needle. It includes indoor and outdoor exhibits, a bookstore and gift shop, and a full service bar offering beer, wine, cocktails, and a limited food menu. Regular price adult admission to Chihuly Garden and Glass is $30 weekdays and $35 weekends. Discounts are available for seniors and children, and for late entry (after 6pm). Hours vary slightly with the seasons. The Seattle CityPass Card gives you entry to the Space Needle and other Seattle attractions as well as Chihuly Garden and Glass. Check the websites linked below for more information.

Useful links:

Chihuly Garden and Glass website Seattle Center and the Space Needle

Tacoma Museum District Museum of Glass website

Seattle CityPass Card

Originally posted by Alan K. Lee July 3, 2018. Updated and re-posted October 14, 2020 and June 26, 2023.

All photos by and the property of the author.

Seattle Aquarium

by Alan K. Lee

The Seattle Aquarium is a fun-filled and educational experience for the whole family. The aquarium’s displays and exhibits focus on the marine life of Puget Sound. You’ll explore tide pools, see salmon, halibut, lingcod, and other fish living in Puget Sound, marine birds like the tufted puffin, black oystercatcher, and pigeon guillemot, and marine mammals, including sea otters, harbor seals, and fur seals.

The aquarium is managed and operated by the nonprofit Seattle Aquarium Society under a long-term agreement with the City of Seattle. The aquarium’s mission, Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment, guides the aquarium society’s activities, which extend beyond the aquarium.

The Seattle Aquarium Society runs a variety of public programs that give people the chance to explore and learn about beach ecosystems, salmon migration and life cycles, and other aspects of the local marine environment. And the society runs summer camps for kids and distance learning programs in addition to their hands on programs.

The Seattle Aquarium is located on the waterfront in downtown Seattle north of the ferry terminals. There are many other nearby attractions, such as the Seattle Great Wheel (two blocks to the south), and Pike Place Public Market, one of Seattle’s iconic institutions (two blocks to the east). After visiting Pike Place, continue on another quarter mile east and catch the Monorail (another iconic Seattle institution) at 5th and Pine for a quick ride to the Seattle Center and the Space Needle.

Other attractions near the aquarium include The Seattle Art Museum, just three blocks from the aquarium, and the Seattle Public Library, less than half a mile away. (Take the elevator or escalators to the 10th level of the library for some of the best views of downtown Seattle).

My wife and I spent the recent Fourth of July weekend exploring Seattle and vicinity with my step-daughter and her family. The grandkids had a great time at the aquarium, riding the Great Wheel and the Monorail, and seeing the sights from the top of the Space Needle. Seattle is truly a great place for the whole family. And the environment surrounding Seattle, both terrestrial and marine, is beautiful and often awe inspiring. Look for an upcoming post on this site on the Snoqualmie Valley, just a short drive east of Seattle. The abundance of close at hand natural areas perfectly balances the urban environment, making a visit to Seattle an even more attractive trip for everyone.

Posted August 27, 2022.

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Seattle Center and the Space Needle

by Alan K. Lee

I remember going to the Seattle World’s Fair as a ten year old kid and seeing the Space Needle for the first time. That was pretty cool. At that age I wanted to be a scientist when I grew up (never happened), so the U.S. Science Pavilion was also a highlight for me. I remember seeing the Mercury space capsule that Alan Shepherd rode into space. That was pretty cool, too. So was riding the Monorail. But what I remember most vividly was putting a few coins into a vending machine and having a ready to eat hamburger pop out. A hamburger vending machine. That was the coolest thing ever.

Today, the Seattle Center occupies the site of the 1962 World’s Fair. While most of the buildings constructed for the Fair were torn down after it closed, some of the buildings were re-purposed and remain today. The United States Science Pavilion became the Pacific Science Center, and the Washington State Coliseum that housed the World of Century 21 exhibit became Key Arena, one-time home of the Seattle Super Sonics NBA team. The Monorail and the International Fountain are still in operation, and, of course, the Space Needle remains Seattle’s most iconic landmark and draws people from all over the world to the Seattle Center.

The 605 foot tall Space Needle underwent a major renovation a few years ago. There is now an open air, glass walled observation deck, and a revolving glass floored interior space (The Loupe) where you can look straight down to the ground more than 500 feet below your feet. If those are too vertigo inducing for your pleasure, the 360 degree view from inside is still offers an awesome view of Seattle, Elliott Bay, and Puget Sound.

There’s also much more to the Seattle Center than just the Space Needle. The Pacific Science Center has two IMAX theaters, a laser planetarium (the Laser Dome), and a variety of permanent and traveling exhibits for kids, families, and school groups. Chihuly Garden and Glass features hundreds of glass art sculptures by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly. The Museum of Pop Culture (formerly the EMP Museum and, before that, the Experience Music Project) has a variety of exhibits featuring music, film and video, gaming, and science fiction and fantasy themes. The Seattle Opera and the Seattle Repertory Theater are also located at the Seattle Center, as are the Seattle Children’s Museum and the Seattle Children’s Theater.

Space Needle viewed from the International Fountain Gallery

The Space Needle is open daily from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm. Adult ticket prices are $37.50, with discounts for early entry (before 11:00 am), seniors, and children.

Chihuly Garden and Glass is is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 9:00 am to 7:00 pm Friday and Saturday. Adult admission is $35, with discounts for seniors, children, King County residents, and early entry (before 11:00 am).

The Museum of Pop Culture is open daily (10:00-6:00 weekdays and 9:00-6:00 weekends). Adult admission ranges from $27.00 to $32.50 depending on day of week and time of day.

A combination ticket for both the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass is available for $62.50 (adult admission). And the Seattle CityPass Card includes admission to the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, the Museum of Pop Culture, and Chihuly Garden and Glass, as well as several other attractions ($109 adults, $85 youths).

Unfortunately, the Pacific Science Center is currently closed for renovation, and the Seattle Children’s Museum is closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both are scheduled to reopen in 2022.

When it’s time to grab something to eat, you have your choice of any number of restaurants and cafes in the area surrounding the Center. My wife and I usually gravitate to McMennamin’s Queen Anne Pub just to the north, but there are many other options. Toulouse Petit, just northwest of the Center at the corner of Queen Anne and Mercer, brings a bit of the Big Easy to Seattle with their Cajun and Creole menu. A block south on Queen Anne, Dick’s Drive-In is a classic 1950s style drive-in (currently open for take out or delivery only). Just southeast of the Center on Cedar St, the 5 Point Cafe and Bar is a classic American diner that has been in operation since 1929. Across the street, Wa’z Seattle serves modern Japanese cuisine. And next door, Tillicum Place Cafe is a popular and highly rated Euro-style bistro. They’re currently (as of August 2021) operating on limited hours for dine in, so check their website. Many more restaurants, cafes, and pubs dot the areas around the Center. You can probably find whatever cuisine you’re looking for somewhere not too far away.

Downtown Seattle viewed from the Space Needle

If you’re planning to stay in the area, the Maxwell Hotel, Mediterranean Inn, and Hotel Five all get very good reviews. Kimpton Palladian Hotel, Ace Hotel Seattle, Pan Pacific Seattle, and Fairfield Inn and Suites also get good reviews.

Museum of History and Industry and Lake Union

It would not be hard to spend a whole day at the Seattle Center. Or you can make a weekend of it and spend another day at other downtown Seattle attractions. The Olympic Sculpture Garden and Myrtle Edwards Park on Elliott Bay are a short walk to the west of the Center. It’s not much farther to the Museum of History and Industry and Lake Union Park to the east. (Timed entry tickets are available online and are recommended, but not required). And Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium, the Seattle Art Museum, and the Seattle Great Wheel are all about a mile to the south, along the Elliot Bay waterfront.

There’s far more to do in downtown Seattle than I can list here, so go explore. Seattle’s a great place to visit and you’ll have a great time. Or ride the ferry across the Sound and explore Bainbridge Island. Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, the Kids Discovery Museum, Steven Fey Photography Gallery, Mora Iced Creamery, Eleven Winery, Blackbird Bakery, Doc’s Marina Grill, and the Harbour Public House are all within walking distance of the ferry terminal.